Now and Again
by LondonWitch
Summary: Ron goes to see Hermione in the hospital when she's paralyzed in their 2nd year. He tells her he loves her, and when the moment is right years later, will he tell her again? RW and HG, and a small HP and GW bit. Finished.
1. Now

**Now and Again**  
  
_by LondonWitch_  
  
A/N: This is a short first part to a two-part story. Next, and last, I'll write when Ron actually says it again. No, I don't own any of the characters, but I do own the plot, thanks to those nice little people in my brain. I appreciate any reviews!  
  
**Part One: Now...**

* * *

"Hermione...I know you can't hear me, but..."  
  
Ron was sitting alone, well, not technically alone, in the Hospital Wing at Hermione's bedside. It was their second year, and she had been paralyzed by Slytherin's Heir not even two hours ago. Harry was somewhere, he didn't know where. Ron'd just said he was going to go to find Percy (who'd mysteriously disappeared), and then had gone straight to the Hospital Wing.  
  
Ron reached out, gently touched Hermione's stiff hand. Slowly, he fit his hand into hers, and gave one small squeeze. He stared blankly down at her wide, glassy mousse-brown eyes, frozen in time. It was as though he was frozen, all his thoughts and feelings, with her.  
  
"I...er...um....I need help on my Potions homework! That's it, I just wanted to tell you that I," Ron said, his voice falling as he stopped for a moment to ponder his idiotic excuse, "...need help with Potions."  
  
Never letting go of her hand, he took his other and literally smacked himself in the forehead. Stupid, dumb...why had he even come here in the first place? She couldn't even hear him...he could be speaking Troll for all Hermione knew right then.  
  
In actuality, Hermione could hear him faintly, and could feel his warm hand in her cool one. She knew it was the Basilisk, and oh why, oh why, couldn't she just talk to him? Tell him the Basilisk...no, that, too, was stupid. She just wanted to tell him that she – er – loved him. Yes, she really loved Ron Weasley  
  
"Hermione, the real reason isn't Potions homework. Not that I don't need help on it or anything," Ron admitted aloud, checking around for any sign of Madam Promfrey, "But I had to tell you how I feel about you. I was going to tell you sooner or later, I swear. But I 't bear...you. Here, like this."  
  
In her faint, misty world of being paralyzed, Hermione's heart gave a leap. This was it, this was the moment he would say...  
  
"I love you, Hermione."  
  
That was it. Magic. Pure and utter magic. What amazing power those four words held, down deep in the heart of them. It was better than anything she's ever heard before. Hermione felt the blood rushing, pulsing through her veins. He really loved her, like she loved him, Ronald Weasley. She had for all of eternity; well, from the first time she had met him on the Hogwarts Express.  
  
"I've loved you ever since that day on the train. You were a pain-in-the- butt, and I liked how your eyes twinkled and you ruffled your hair when you were annoyed. And I _know _you can't hear me..."  
  
Oh, Ron, but I _can _hear you! You, speaking these words that I've been waiting for! Hermione thought, wishing with all her might that she had just gone to the Quidditch match earlier that day, and not the library. Maybe then she wouldn't be paralyzed...but then maybe she wouldn't have heard this.  
  
"Hermione, I'll tell you all this again one day. Someday. Now...now and again. And when you get mad at me, which I know you will, please don't stay that way for long. And don't ever fall for some foreign Quidditch player, okay? Because I love you," Ron breathed, hoping against hope that she could actually hear him.  
  
I'll be ready, thought Hermione. I promise, I'll be there and ready, and I'll tell you I love you forever. But for now, I won't say a word.  
  
Ron smiled down at her, and placed his other hand in her empty one. He squeezed, again, with both hands, and whispered those same words:  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
And slightly, ever so slightly, he could have sworn he felt a soft squeeze in return.

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A/N: On to Part Two! 


	2. and Again

**Now and Again**  
  
_by LondonWitch_  
  
A/N: This is the short second part to the two-part story. I wish I was J.K. Rowling, and that I did own the characters that I love, but all I own is the plot. Enjoy, and I hope you'll review!  
  
**Part Two: ...and Again**

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Hermione Granger was a short seventeen-year-old with deep, rich, mousse- brown eyes and long brown wavy hair that she curled around her finger while studying. Which was, of course, what she was doing at that moment. Studying for an Arithmancy test that was to take place in three weeks, seated on a squashy armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"Hey, Hermione. Whatcha doin'?" Ron walked in; throwing his maroon sweater on an empty chair (Christmas had only been a few weeks ago). The Common Room was empty except for them, as it was 7 o'clock and everyone else was at dinner.  
  
"Studying. I ate earlier, while you were at practice. Did Harry run off with Ginny again?" Hermione asked, a small smile playing across her lips. Harry and Ron had been at Quidditch practice, but Harry usually stuck around afterward to throw a Quaffle around with Ginny, who was the new Chaser for Gryffindor.  
  
"Yes. Hey, there was something I wanted to ask you..." Ron thought hard. He knew that earlier that day, he'd known he had to ask her something, but he just couldn't remember what it was.  
  
"Really? Need help with homework again?" Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy book again, and then closed it. She'd always had a hard time studying with Ron in the room. He always just...caught her attention and held onto it. She loved the way his eyebrows furrowed above his eyes, the sparkling pools of baby blue, while he was in deep thought.  
  
"Oh! I know! I...er...oh yeah! I need help on my Potions homework! It's really hard and...no, that's not it. There was something else," Ron said, even though he did indeed need help with Potions. Snape had been a madman lately, even more so than usual. Ron was seriously considering asking Madam Promfrey to make sure that Snape didn't have fangs.  
  
Something about that sentence stirred a memory in Hermione's brain. Something about the way he'd said it...and all of a sudden she knew where he'd said the exact thing before. Hermione seemed to freeze, waiting, watching for the moment.  
  
Ron looked around the Common Room helplessly. Then he glanced at Hermione, and seeing her, almost paralyzed with fear...and, somehow, a sense of waiting and knowing. And all of a sudden he remembered something he'd said...done...been...so long ago.  
  
_'Hermione, I'll tell you all this again one day. Someday. Now...now and again.'_  
  
Again had come, at last.  
  
"Hermione, there's something I need to tell you," Ron said, breathing slowly now. He hoped that he was doing the right thing, that he wasn't about to make a complete fool of himself. Well, might as well get it over with, before everyone else came in form dinner.  
  
"Yes, Ron?" Hermione had to struggle to even get those two words out. She was praying that this was it, the day he'd say it...  
  
_'I'll be ready. I promise, I'll be there and ready.'_  
  
"I love you."  
  
There, he'd said it. And again, for Hermione, the magical rush flew throughout her, and she couldn't contain it a minute longer. She threw her arms around him and gave him the biggest hug she could, hoping that Ron knew she loved him with all her might.  
  
Ron looked at her for a moment, and hugged her back, holding her for a few minutes, "You know, I told you...I told you this in 2nd Year, while you were paralyzed. And I could have sworn that..."  
  
"I squeezed your hand back?" Hermione asked, grinning slightly. She loved to tease him like this. It drove him absolutely insane.  
  
"How did you...what did you..._how_?" Ron stared in amazement, "Are you psychic or something? I thought you'd dropped out of Trelawney's class for good!"  
  
"No, silly. I could hear what you were saying that day...and I couldn't move at all but I did will myself to," she replied, and somewhere a faint, tinkling melody began to play, "Dance with me, Ron, please?"  
  
Hermione grabbed his and hoisted him up, and together they twirled around the room, not taking their eyes off one another. Slowly, very slowly, Ron squeezed Hermione's hand again.  
  
_And slightly, ever so slightly, he could have sworn he felt a soft squeeze in return._

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A/N: Finished. The italics were flashbacks, in case you couldn't tell. I hope you enjoyed it, please review! Thanks... 


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